novelraw Chapter 117 : An Unexpected Answer (2)
Chapter 117 : An Unexpected Answer (2)
Song Baek's story was simple. If he helped resolve the dispute with the Zhongnan Sect over the Dark Fragrance Float, Huashan would help in the extermination of the Four Black Alliance.
It was a very simple story, but a certain confidence was exuded from his words.
"Is this the way of the orthodox sect?"
"Of course, it's the way of the orthodox sect. The Four Black Alliance is a group of the Black Way. There are plenty of justifications."
It wasn't as if the Four Black Alliance had gathered to do good deeds, so there was an endless supply of material to use as justification.
In the first place, since it was about subjugating bad guys, it wasn't as if they were forcibly creating a non-existent justification by framing their martial arts as demonic arts or dragging in the Demonic Cult.
Jang So-gil pressed his brow with his index finger.
"That's true. Even if we just investigate the evil deeds they've done, dozens of justifications will easily come out."
"Once the justification is established, announce it and declare war on the Four Black Alliance. Then people who will help you will come running from here and there. I and the Huashan Sect will stand at the forefront."
The current martial world was in a state of considerable stagnation. It was because everyone had been lying low for a while to heal their wounds after the Great War against the Demonic Cult had ended.
It had been too long since a big fight had occurred. That meant there were many martial artists who were itching for a chance.
The situation was already heated, and on top of that, there was the support of the Huashan Sect, one of the pillars of the orthodox sect, for the declaration of war by the Ghost King, whose power was said to make even flying birds fall. The hot-blooded martial artists of the orthodox sect would come running, scrambling over each other.
There would be countless martial artists who would rush in with personal objectives, such as gaining a nickname by playing an active role in the fight against the Four Black Alliance, entering the Martial Alliance, or catching the eye of another master and becoming their disciple.
Song Baek, crossing his arms, grinned.
"Even so, the real masters won't move, but if our Huashan Sect helps, the story is different. The Black Killing Hegemon King, Ha Hu-yeong? Even if he's called the supreme ruler of the unorthodox sect, he's no match. Because in Huashan, there is the Sword Saint of Huashan."
"Th-that's true."
The Sword Saint of Huashan was one of the best masters in the martial world, who was considered to have become the Martial Alliance Leader if it hadn't been for Gumen Long. Since the majority of the Ten Venerables had died or were in seclusion, there were not five people in the world who could match him.
His skill was above that of the Three Demons, and even when compared to the Black Killing Hegemon King, Ha Hu-yeong, he was a far superior master.
"..."
This could work. The chances of winning were high.
No, it wasn't just high; there was no possibility of failure at all.
But was it okay to do this?
"Isn't this a bit cheap?"
"What are you talking about? There's no method more like the orthodox sect than this."
That was true. Finding a suitable justification, driving the opponent as a villain, and arousing public indignation, then gathering a lot of people and burying them with numbers was a specialty of the orthodox sect.
"The groups of the Black Way, the leaders of the unorthodox sect, can't imitate it even if they die. The powerful justification of 'realizing justice' and 'implementing justice' can only be used by the orthodox sect. So of course, this is the most orthodox sect-like method."
Jang So-gil also knew the power of justification in theory.
But to hear it directly from the mouth of the Plum Blossom Swordsman of the great Huashan Sect, and moreover, the Sword Dragon, Song Baek, who was considered the next in line for the sect leader, it felt truly strange.
"Wow. You say it so confidently that I have nothing to say."
"Why? This is something to be confident about."
"Shameless..."
Shameless. But confident.
That confidence, that righteousness of believing themselves to be justice by dealing with villains.
It felt like he was realizing the potential and the thickness of the skin that the martial artists of the orthodox sect possessed.
So, his eyes trembling, retorted.
"Alright. I understand that that's the way of the orthodox sect. But it's no good."
"Why?"
"Because the Alliance Leader-nim said to wipe out the Four Black Alliance with my own strength."
"Hey, Ghost King."
Song Baek, shrugging his shoulders as if he had heard something trivial, looked at Jang So-gil with a pathetic gaze.
Jang So-gil found that gaze unbearably annoying. Because he had rarely received such a look from others.
"What are you looking at me like that for?"
"Since I'm much more of a senior than you as a martial artist, I'll give you one piece of advice."
"Tell me."
"You're the inspector of the Martial Alliance, right?"
"That's right."
"Then you must know that you're now a famous person in the martial world, right?"
"I know."
"If people move because you, a famous person of the martial world, say to fight the Four Black Alliance. Is that your own power, or the power of other people?"
For a moment, Jang So-gil was at a loss for words. As he blinked his eyes blankly, Song Baek, as if he had known it would be like this, crossed his arms.
"When you become a famous person representing the orthodox sect, your words carry weight and have power. The power obtained in that way is of course your power. Just because your martial arts are high, that's not all. Achievements, merits, honor, justice and loyalty, and righteousness. Taking the lead in doing things that all the people can acknowledge, and making them follow you is also power."
"As the inspector of the Martial Alliance, you have been active as a sword that protects the balance of the martial world and punishes evil. Now, is subjugating the Four Black Alliance a dishonorable thing? It's not."
"..."
"It's a matter of punishing evil. Why do you have to be so cautious when you're doing the right thing? Act calmly and confidently, as a famous person."
To think that ganging up on someone head-on was rather a confident thing for a famous person of the martial world.
He was dizzy. It was a statement that directly contradicted the values of Jang So-gil, who had lived as a merchant and a schemer.
Jang So-gil, grinding his teeth, retorted.
"It's a method I've thought of. To be honest, it was the first thought that came to mind."
"Why didn't you do it then?"
"Because if I did that, many people would die and get hurt, so I thought it was a method unbecoming of the orthodox sect."
"Isn't it the nature of a fight that many people die and get hurt?"
"Because the Alliance Leader-nim told me to do it with my own strength. I only thought that I had to do it by myself."
He had fallen into a trap of thought due to the mindset of a schemer. He had no awareness that he was a famous person of the martial world and that he held the justification.
Since his standing position had changed, his perspective on the world should have also changed.
But it was not yet decided that that was the right answer.
Jang So-gil, with a 'just in case' feeling, asked Song Baek again.
"Let me ask you one thing."
"Ask away."
"Let's say you became the target of villains on your way back to Huashan. You found out that those guys had surrounded you from three directions."
"Three directions?"
"Yes. And that encirclement was open on only one side. Although the open side was in the opposite direction of the road to Huashan, if you went around that way, you could say the road was open."
"Ho-oh."
"In a situation like this, what would you do?"
"What do you mean, what would I do? Why should I go the long way around in the opposite direction when I've done nothing wrong? I am a Plum Blossom Swordsman of the great Huashan Sect, and I have never done anything shameful under the heavens. Of course, it's a frontal breakthrough. I will fight them honorably, loudly proclaim my innocence, and gather the heroes who cannot bear the injustice to break through the path together."
"Crazy."
This was it.
This was the right answer.
Jang So-gil covered his own mouth.
'This was it?'
This was the answer the Alliance Leader had wanted.
It wasn't about going to Xuchang and returning to Luoyang. It wasn't the method of a demon who killed everything that blocked his path and walked a blood-soaked road alone.
He should have widely proclaimed his innocence on the spot, gathered the heroes of the martial world, and fought honorably and won.
That was the image of the Martial Alliance inspector that Gumen Long had wanted, and the image of an orthodox martial artist.
"..."
Song Baek, seeing Jang So-gil who was at a loss for words, straightened his shoulders and made a triumphant expression, like a person who had passed the state examination with the highest score.
And Jang So-gil, who had learned the truth, hit his head on the table in a daze.
To think that Sima Hui had noticed, but he himself had not.
The fellow called 'self-reproach' exploded.
* * *
After guiding Song Baek to the guest's private room, the place Jang So-gil went to was Yang Gwan's residence. Yang Gwan was in the middle of packing various things to enter closed-door training.
As soon as Jang So-gil saw Yang Gwan's face, he cut to the chase and immediately relayed the story Song Baek had told him.
Jang So-gil raised his voice at Yang Gwan, who was just blinking his innocent eyes.
"They say this is common sense for an orthodox martial artist!"
"W-was it like that?"
"To give you a hundred concessions, I might not have known. Because I'm a merchant, and to be honest, I'm more of a schemer than a martial artist, so I don't know your common sense! But you should have known!"
Yang Gwan, who had received Jang So-gil's scolding, looked at Jang So-gil with lukewarm eyes.
"Well, you see. Young Master So."
"What is it?"
"You see, I've never had power like Young Master So, nor have I ever made a name for myself in the martial world. And I didn't have the power to move the great Huashan Sect with a single word like the Plum Blossom Swordsman. Even if I was one of the Ten Dragons, all that happened was that sometimes a mountain bandit would recognize me and avoid a fight, and sometimes a ruffian who wanted to see my skill would pick a fight with me on the road."
"..."
"Until now, the only one who moved when I spoke was my Yanghwang Bijeon. Ah, there was also the yellow dog I raised at the Shaolin Temple. Although when the abbot came, the yellow dog would eventually ignore my words..."
"..."
"For a person like me. To think that if I said something about 'righteous indignation', heroes would gather and help me, there's no way I could have come up with that, is there? What do you think with your brilliant mind, Young Master So?"
His gaze was sharp. Jang So-gil handed the bundle he was holding to Yang Gwan.
"It's wall-grain pills. Do well in your closed-door training."
"Young Master So, I asked you what you thought."
"Work hard in your closed-door training."
"Young Master So, so what do you think?"
"Alright, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
As Jang So-gil, pushed by his momentum, apologized, Yang Gwan, as if he were finally satisfied, nodded his head.
The fellow slightly twisted the corner of his mouth. It was the smile of a victor.
Seeing that sight, Jang So-gil's annoyance welled up. His patience, which had been on the verge of snapping from his anger, snapped.
"No, but this bastard!"
Jang So-gil, who had gotten angry, kicked Yang Gwan's shin. Then a 'kkang-' sound, like kicking a brass bowl, spread. It was Yang Gwan, who had quickly used the Shaolin Diamond Art.
But Jang So-gil had not just kicked him either. He had kicked him with his internal energy.
And the level of the two was similar. Jang So-gil, it meant that both of them were in pain.
"A-o, a-o. A-o!"
"Euhek."
Yang Gwan, who was holding his shin, shedding tears, and Jang So-gil, who was hopping on one leg. The two were like that for a long time.
Yang Gwan, with difficulty, spoke.
"But Young Master So, what do you mean, closed-door training? If things are like this, isn't it not the time for closed-door training? Shouldn't I also join in?"
"Well, it's not as if we're going to fight right away. There's still a month left, and the urgent matter right now is not the Four Black Alliance. It's the matter of throwing the Dark Fragrance Float to the Huashan Sect."
The evil deeds of the Four Black Alliance that could be used as justification were already piled up like a mountain. It was thanks to the fact that he had been persistently investigating for two months, wondering if it could be a clue for an attack.
"Originally, this is something that should be done in a flash, like roasting beans in a lightning fire. Once it starts, it probably won't even take three days."
"Uh, then should I just be in closed-door training until the great event begins?"
"Yes. You can just comfortably eat expensive wall-grain pills and elixirs and train."
"B-but even from just hearing the story, it seems the matter of Huashan and Zhongnan is not something that can be easily handled."
"Really? Does it look like that?"
In front of Yang Gwan, whose face was full of worry and concern, Jang So-gil, with a confident expression, grinned.
(End of Chapter)